Main Line Classical Academy: Shaping Renaissance Learners for the 21st Century

Curriculum, seminars, lessons in the humanities, and a stem program that includes lab-based inquiry and natural exploration lead to a very unique education.

September 21, 2023

Founded on the belief that children are never too young to learn great things, Main Line Classical Academy has been shaping K-12 learners into future Renaissance men and women since 2015.

Main Line Classical Academy is a liberal arts private school located in Bryn Mawr. Through rich seminar-style instruction and hands-on investigation, learners engage with rigorous content under the guidance of content-area experts. From kindergarten through high school, students delve deep into literature, poetry, STEM, modern and ancient foreign languages, history, music, and studio arts. Founder and Head of School Dr. Asya Sigelman envisions K-12 learning as a series of interconnected voyages in space and time, across epochs and continents: “The most exciting, authentic way to experience other cultures and civilizations is by immersing oneself in their languages, literature, and history. MLCA students time-travel to ancient Rome through study of Latin and Roman history; to 18th century France by reading the comedies of Molière.” With a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:6, class sizes are intentionally intimate to give attention to each learner and to foster a climate of discussion and accountability.

MLCA Students develop competencies in languages at the earliest stages, learning both Latin and French. They offer studio art and art history coupled with music theory, piano and violin to nurture knowledge and love of the arts in their young people. Learners engage in history exploration through wrestling with primary source documents, and they study literature and poetry of merit, memorizing poetry as young as kindergarten and reading texts like Shakespeare’s Tempest and Melville’s Moby Dick in full.

Since its founding, MLCA has been a leader not only in the humanities but also in STEM: they teach science through lab-based inquiry and natural exploration and middle-schoolers regularly win awards at the Science Fair and Science Olympiad. Similarly, their focus from kindergarten onward on the depth and beauty of mathematics has ensured students’ annual success in a wide variety of Math competitions, including Kangaroo, Purple Comet, MOEMS, and MathCounts. One of MLCA’s greatest assets is its community of teachers and families. In the words of Dr. Sigelman: “We span a wide range of national, religious, cultural, and political backgrounds; what brings us all together is the belief that we owe it to our children to introduce them to some of the most exciting, most profound, most important achievements of human civilization.”

A new offering being rolled out in the Lower School this fall is The Good Life seminar, a course intent on nurturing resilience, citizenship, and a moral compass through discussion of ancient myths and legends. Under the guidance of Principal, Mr. Chilbert, students will read tales of characters forging a path forward, despite adversity, leaning into challenge.

Through this course, students will develop the soft skills of being a student and a strong community member- organization, executive functioning, conflict resolution, and integrity. Mr. Chilbert shares his educational philosophy: “This class is deeply concerned with the central ethical question: “How ought I to live?” The ancients began their inquiry into this question from the conviction that in order to know how we ought to live, we need to know what is good. But knowing this is not an easy or a straightforward task. Our awareness of the weight of these choices leads to an empowered individual.”

To learn more about Main Line Classical Academy, please schedule a school site visit at your convenience through their website, attend one of their virtual lunch info sessions, or attend their upcoming Math Fest. Families looking to take part in the curated STEM learning should attend the Math Fest on October 22nd.